Torchwood Unexpected 3: Events and Occasional Heroism
by Evil Asch
Summary: Ianto is in the wind, Jack is off the grid, Rex and Gwen are picking up the pieces while the new Torchwood looks on. Ianto has a purpose to serve and a decision to make but whether it's one he can live with is unknown. Racing to catch up old and new will will meet in a clash of wills and the future will be decided
1. Falling Behind

_Excerpts from Journal of Ianto Jones._

 _First Entry:_

I don't know why I feel compelled to write this down. I don't mean actually writing, that was obvious. When Gwen joined Torchwood Jack tried to dose her with Retcon part of the reason she was able to continue pursuing Jack and Torchwood was her resistance to it. That resistance was fueled by a simple written note.

So writing this all down on an actual piece of paper in a cheap notebook wasn't a difficult or mystifying choice. Keeping this at all was, is, I still think it may be the worst idea I've ever had.

I'm a loner, I like my privacy and my quiet but I'm truly alone now. The difference between self-imposed isolation and preferred isolation is immeasurable. So maybe this will serve as a partner of sorts, a place to speak and clear my mind or whatever it is I need.

 _Second Entry:_

I think I broke Jack.

I should attempt to explain, that's the point of this after all. Where to start?

I've stared at that sentence for over a half an hour now. I'm exhausted I'm going to sleep then I'll try again. Jack, I love you, and I'm sorry for everything. I never thought I could hurt you so badly but I think…I hope this was the better choice. Earth still needs her Captain.

 _Third Entry:_

I drove Jack away to save him. He will hate me for it I think, at least a little. We will never have a happy ending. No one in Torchwood does. I'm following the pull. When I left Wales I didn't know or care where I was going now I have an idea of it.

Rex Matheson might help me. If he doesn't I'll try anyway. My free will, I feel like it's eroding, like every day this pressure, this presence swallows more of it. That can't be true though, not completely. If I am one of these broad souled people then I will need to make a decision and that decision -

 _Following Entries Damaged, Undergoing Repair: ETA 4 Hrs_

She lowered her tablet and sighed then looked up at her audience.

"Rex –"

"Alfred ditched Batman Cooper, that's a big damn problem." Rex growled.

"Rex, he was coming to see you."

"He never got here."

"Where is he?" Gwen demanded.

"We don't know. My people found this in a burned out hotel. They were trying to rendezvous with him."

She glared at him, hating him for handling things in his usual hamfisted accusatory way but accepted what he said.

"We have to find him."

"Tell me what happened between him and world war two."

"Ask Jack."

"I tried, you think I wanted to pull you away from your family and waste time like this? Tell me Gwen."

She closed her eyes.

"Jack is off the grid." She sighed and leaned back. "He left shortly after Ianto did."

"You couldn't let me know?"

"Why would we? There's a new Torchwood now. You don't need us."

Rex didn't reply to that and Gwen thought for a moment he looked offended.

"Why?"

She considered how to reply.

"Ianto left."

"And?"

"And what Rex?" She snarled.

"There's more to it, you can't tell –"

She glared. He scowled. She bit her lip and wished Jack were there, would speak for himself. She ached for his presence, his scent, his ruthless determination. She had seen him hesitate to face the 456 then do so with devastating dedication, watched him falter during the Miracle then rally and risk everything to end it. Why couldn't he gather himself now?

"What are you doing to find Ianto?"


	2. The Sea

Ianto watched the sea. He had always enjoyed the sight of a rocky shore and an unsettled sea. The foam of agitated waves, the hiss and crash as land and water clashed…

He closed his eyes and pretended his heart didn't ache. Listened to the ancient rattle and roar of the tide and tried to forget Jack's face, his touch, his smell…

"Mr. Jones?"

He opened his eyes and smiled pleasantly. A young man was addressing him.

"Uh this way Mr. Jones." He said and lead Ianto through a crowded lobby and onto an expensive elevator. Once inside the doors closed and the youth fit a key into the control panel then opened a panel and entered a series of numbers.

"Impressive security." Ianto lied. While outwardly impressive the security protocols and standards he had witnessed could be easily circumvented without needing to resort to Torchwood tech.

"We do our best to serve sir." The youth replied. He was handsome and seemed intelligent enough. He was difficult to read which lead Ianto to believe he was either as dumb as his façade indicated or quite a bit smarter.

"Right this way Sir."

Ianto followed closely. He moved easily, confidently, dressed impeccably and smiling with just a touch of condescension the few people they passed looked past him. He had twenty minutes to get what he needed and leave the building.

"Ah, Mr. Jones, a pleasure to meet you." A dour middle aged man greeted as he followed the youth into a vast 'office'. It took a quarter of the floor and looked out on the city below. A single desk occupied a work area near the windows. The rest was polish granite and emptiness.

"Mr. Jones, Mr. Penury." The youth said then turned on his heel and left them alone.

"He's a good boy, my nephew. Smarter than he looks thank god. Boy with his looks could get himself in trouble. Now, Mr. Jones, I understand you represent some rather well-heeled potential investors?"

"That's my story." Ianto said mildly. He was armed with an exotic ceramic and plastics handgun but had hoped to avoid using it. Mr. Penury's expression was amused and hard edged. Time was running out.

Penury let the silence stretch as Ianto enjoyed the view.

"Well, I certainly hope you've been impressed –"

"Your security is shallow grandstanding at best. Your metal detectors are purely for show, your elevator arrangement is easily installed and just as easily circumvented. In fact, the biggest flaw in your security at this moment is me." Ianto said and smiled.

"I couldn't agree more Mr. Jones." Penury said with a massive grin.

Ianto felt probabilities shift under his feet, he had missed something, Penury was still grinning as the door his nephew had left through opened.

"Thank you Mr. Penury." A familiar voice greeted. Ianto turned to face it. It was the woman that had lead the strike against the trans-dimensional assassin, the woman that had nearly killed him.

"Torchwood." He said by way of greeting and nodded slightly. He was terrified and furious but maintained his calm visage and body language.

"Dr. Kara Brentwood actually but yes, I am part of Torchwood. You and yours are decidedly not."

"What brings you to the states?" Ianto asked mildly.

"Why you of course. We've been keeping an eye on your little band of misfits. You Mr. Jones have been doing some very interesting things."

"It's important to stay busy."

"Yes well. Be that as it may Mr. Jones your little game is over. We're calling the score and you're going to cooperate."

"Ah well, you are still the bitch that nearly killed me correct?"

"The very one."

He considered his options.

"Would you like a drink Dr. Brentwood?" Penury asked.

"Please." She replied smoothly.

"Job interview." Ianto said.

She grinned and accepted Penury's drink.

"Well done. Yes, we would like to offer you a position."

"Why?"

"Well aside from your existing and highly applicable skillset we have been told to expect great things from you. World changing even."

"Told?"

"By parties that are, for now, none of your concern." She shipped her drink and Penury offered one to Ianto. He shook his head.

"Thank you but no."

"I urge you to reconsider Mr. Jones. Your…future...such as it is could benefit from it."

"I thought you were above threats."

"Oh it's not a threat it's a genuine suggestion. Why don't you allow me to show you?"

He opened his mouth to speak but the pressure, the presence, the whispering urge that had driven him from Jack spoke for him. "Very well."

 **A/N Might be one more chapter before I have to take another short break. Please feel free to R &R, I read everything and implement suggestions / edits as soon as possible.**


	3. Purpose

"-interview"

"Well, he's quite clever, would have to be to survive Torchwood 3."

"Harkness doesn't like them dumb."

"Picky is he? That's not what I hear –"

"Listen to me. Jack Harkness is a lot of things to a lot of people but what you need to remember at all times is that he is extremely dangerous and worthy of respect. He kept Torchwood 3 up and running for decades. He has saved the world, literally saved it, more times than I care to count."

"Right, but …are the rumors true?"

"Which ones?" Ianto muttered.

"Oh shit he's awake."

"Go tell Brentwood."

Ianto sat up, opened his eyes, winced and tried to figure out where he was. It looked like a warehouse and he seemed to be lying on a cot complete with itchy wool military surplus blanket. The last he recalled was catching his flight after leaving Jack. The people around him had British accents and moved like trained military.

"Mr. Jones?" He recognized the voice, it was the one that had defended Jack. He squinted at the owner, a woman, mid-thirties, black, green eyes, she moved with a physicality that he was familiar with. Combat experienced.

"My name is Jade Mr. Jones, I have some tablets here for the headache and water."

He nodded and accepted them. The pills were stamped with a name brand painkiller's logo but it could be retcon. He didn't care he downed three and a glass of water.

"Where are we? Oh never mind you can't tell me, assuming you know."

"Sorry sir." She said and shrugged one shoulder.

"What did they tell you about me?" He asked.

"You were Torchwood 3. Stood up against the 456. Involved with the infamous Captain Jack Harkness. Disappeared during the Miracle, well during the 456 incident anyway. Showed up a few months ago."

"And you?"

"I'm just a soldier sir." She said and had the grace to blush at the lie. She was certainly a soldier. She moved like one, looked strong and healthy, her skin glowed with good health, her hair was cropped nearly skin tight and suited her. She had high cheekbones that accented her unusual eyes and she seemed smart. But there was more to her.

"New Torchwood?" He asked.

She looked surprised.

"Well, really who else would it be? You should quit while you're still alive Jade." He suggested tiredly.

"I've nowhere to go Sir. Besides, here I might do some good."

He felt an echo of her optimism and sense of duty. Something similar had driven him to join. A drifter finally finding a purpose.

"Married? Want kids?"

"No and never have."

"Well, there's that at least. Did they give you the statistics?" He asked. She helped him sit up.

"Sir?"

"How many long term Torchwood members survive to retire?"

"No sir."

"Ah well there it is." He sighed stretched and spoke again. "At the time Torchwood 3 fell historically of personnel that served for four years or longer 90% would fail to reach retirement. Roughly 5% were medically retired due to job-sustained injuries that prevented their continued participation." He watched her face as he spoke. "Torchwood 3 suffered a full loss of personnel in 1999 during the millennium celebration, since then the team was rebuilt to a strength of six, including Jack. As of now the survivors of Torchwood 3 number 3 people, including Jack."

She looked angry now. "What's your point sir?"

"Only that if you have any sense you will run screaming."

"And you sir?"

"It's too late for me Jade. Is that your real name?"

"No sir, nickname, Dr. Brentwood assigns us operational names when we're routed in, everyone already called me Jade so it made sense."

"Good. Keep yourself to yourself. It will hurt less." He rose and stretched feeling his muscles and joints pop and settle, finding a few bruises.

"What will sir?"

"Surviving Torchwood." He sighed.

"You're just trying to scare me sir. I've read your file. I know you –"

"No Jade, you know my _file_. You know that I'm involved with the enigmatic Jack Harkness. That I'm a survivor of Torchwood 3. That's all, because anything else is beyond your clearance."

"You found Jack through Torchwood sir, by all accounts you're truly in love, wasn't that worth it?"

He saw hope in her eyes and erred on the side of mercy.

"Maybe."

"I've orders to take you to Dr. Brentwood sir." He let her lead the way observing everything he could as they walked. This looked like an interim location. A place to unload and inspect goods and materials, maybe repackage them for the next leg of their journey. It looks like it might be part of a training depot as well, he saw nervous personnel being drilled by older members or at least ones that moved with confidence.

"Like the view sir?" Jade asked.

"Busy. Who is Brentwood?"

Jade didn't reply right away, probably thinking through the risk of answering, "She seems to know you. Said you met briefly, something about an alien attack and collateral damage."

He laughed realizing who his kidnapper must be. Jade looked thoughtful at his reaction. "Yes, I was the collateral damage." He admitted. Jade didn't reply, simply lead him further into the depths of the facility.

Brentwood greeted them from the heart of some kind of command center. She was, as he had suspected, the commanding brunette that had lead the attack that nearly killed him. The room looked like something dreamed up by someone that had fallen in love with movie versions of NASA's Mission Control.

Two rows of monitors with studious looking personnel monitoring them, Brentwood with a larger console and two runners at hand oversaw them. Others came and went speaking with operatives or dropping off paperwork. It all looked very busy indeed but wasn't sure just how much work was actually being accomplished.

"You're here as a guest Mr. Jones."

"Oh please, call me Ianto. I insist all of my polite jailers do so." He grinned and felt the pressure of his unknown purpose rise in his chest, it was soon or near or…

"Mr. Jones I want to work with you. You're needed here. Torchwood is being rebuilt with a greater purpose."

"Defending Earth wasn't enough?" He snorted.

"The best defense is a strong offense Mr. Jones."

He swallowed and heard a click in his throat, felt the purpose grow teeth. "An offense?" He managed to ask calmly.

"Surely you've worked out that our frontline troops vastly outnumber our traditional need." She said pointedly. The console in front of her rippled and revealed troop numbers. He swallowed again.

"You're going to start a war? With an alien force?" He asked carefully, hoping against reason he had misunderstood.

"Yes."

"You're insane, have you thought this through at all? For decades Torchwood has been on the defense and barely managed to keep humanity alive and the Earth spinning. If you go on the attack then every neutral or friendly species and organization out there is going to reconsider their stance toward Earth and Torchwood. If you start a war you'll only make new enemies." He snapped.

The purpose was roaring now, screaming at him, this was it, this was what he had to handle, to fix, to stop or help… intergalactic war started by Torchwood. As he studied her face he knew he had just shifted from 'guest' to outright prisoner. If she didn't have him executed by the end of the day he was going to spend the rest of his life in chains somewhere.

"We have considered that risk." She said mildly.

"Oh _have_ you? What about UNIT? Do they agree with this lunacy? Or the infamous Doctor? What about your own conscience? You're going to slaughter sentient beings _doctor_ Brentwood."

"I'm not that kind of Doctor Mr. Jones and as for UNIT? They are not involved."

"You're going to start a war, an intergalactic _war_ , with an _alien_ species or alliance, and you aren't…this is insane. Do you hear yourself?"

"Mr. Jones, Torchwood has always made the hard decisions when others balked. The destruction of the Sycorax, the stand against the 456 when even UNIT had kneeled and agreed to capitulate – Torchwood."

"Don't you _dare_ , this is not a last stand against a vicious species determined to kidnap our children! This is an act of aggression that will result in the destruction of our species if not the planet itself. We have no defenses –"

"Oh, but we do Mr. Jones." She smiled and gestured at the operative to her right. The young man leaned forward and typed a few commands into the terminal in front of him. Her oversized console lit up and displayed an image of the Solar system. As Ianto watched a series of satellites lit up and sync up a wavery net around earth.

"Oh very good a fence. _Fantastic_. I feel so much better now." He hissed.

"We have considered every path forward Mr. Jones and decided upon this one. We do not act in a vacuum we consulted certain resources that were able to improve our odds."

"Future, fate, a time traveler?" He scoffed.

"Something like that. The point is this plan is going forward. You can help us –"

"Or you can find me a nice comfortable shallow grave?" He snapped.

"Don't be silly, no, you'll simply spend the duration of the war in comfortable seclusion, unless of course you come to your senses." She gestured for Jade to come forward and take custody of him.

"Prove it." He challenged.

"Excuse me?"

"Prove you've done your homework, that this is the only choice. Prove it and I'll help."

She looked thoughtful and let out a low hmmm of amusement. "You are a surprising man Mr. Jones, no wonder he holds you in such regard. Very well, Jade please escort Mr. Jones to the secured guest quarters. I will prepare a presentation for you for later this evening. You should rest, get something to eat."

"I don't suppose you would spring for a phone call?" He asked trying to keep his calm, trying not to jump the console and throttle her, to run for the nearest exit to simply scream.

"Would you like to call Jack? Please do, we've been attempting to reach him for quite some time now. Every point of contact we have is silent."

"Ma'am?" Jade asked.

"Provide him with a secured mobile as well."

"Yes Ma'am." Jade said and saluted. Ianto followed her out head spinning and mind racing. The pressure was raw and huge in his chest he had found its source.

"She's not a monster." Jade said after they had walked for a few minutes in silence. She lead them down a half dozen flights of stairs and out onto a level that was subterranean and appeared to be little more than dozens of cramped quarters. As they walked the frequency of doors dropped. Probably indicating larger living spaces.

"Says you." Ianto sighed.

"I know it sounds bad –"

"Pre-emptive strike to drive an enemy away, to exploit a perceived weakness? You know what famously failed at that? The Japanese Imperial military in world war two. Little event called Pearl Harbor."

"This isn't the same –"

"I hope you're right Jade. If I'm right and she's wrong you can forget about leaving Torchwood to have a life, we'll all be on borrowed time at best."

 **A/N**

 **Right then, back to work (literally). I need to brain out a couple things for the next bits anyway. Please R & R (will likely help with the braining). Will update as soon as practical. Thanks for reading!**


	4. The Ally

"Do you believe her?" He asked Jade.

She was quiet, leading him through the warren of the facility.

"I believe she believes." Jade said and stopped in front of another blank steel door.

"Will that be enough when we're burning?" He asked her. "There are species, coalitions, organizations, crime rings…beings out there that are only held back by our relatively primitive technology, the good will of stronger beings and organizations, and the disinterest of the true powers of the universe. Kicking sand in their faces isn't the cleverest decision we could make."

"We?" She asked.

He smiled a small wry smile. "You don't quit Torchwood Jade."

"No, you mean humanity." She said softly.

"It doesn't bother you that Torchwood is starting a war on behalf of our entire species? Torchwood? A hyper secret organization that traditionally answers directly to the Crown and no other party?"

She opened the plain door.

"These are your quarters. I'll be back shortly with a mobile."

"Really?"

"She means what she says."

"Hmm, a true believer." He entered the cell and waited for her to secure the door.

He listened to her footsteps as she left. Was he supposed to stop the war or assist it? Logic dictated preventing it but his life did not have much to do with logic these days. As silence settled around him he longed for Jack. Just to be near him or anyone really. Locked in a concrete complex behind a steel door he felt his pervasive solitude like a yoke around his neck.

"You're not wrong." The voice drifted to him slightly muffled by the door. Low pitched and Welsh.

"Am I not?" He asked and tried to see his visitor.

"Be ready. I'll help when I can." Ianto struggled to see through the thin mesh window but saw no one and heard no footsteps.

Spooked and doubting his sanity he stiffened at the sound of approaching steps. Peering through the window he could make out a sliver of the hallway. Jade reappeared and he stepped away from the door.

"Prisoner clear of the doorway toes on red!" She called.

He looked around and saw a red line painted on the ground, he grimaced and obeyed. As she opened the door he adjusted his suit and regarded her calmly.

"Here, battery life is about four hours." She said and handed him the phone.

"Why so short?"

"Takes extra juice to get a signal from here."

She looked like she might leave again.

"You defended Jack." He blurted.

She stared at him for a moment. "I said I read your file."

"Mine, not his."

"Your redacted file." She clarified.

He smiled wryly. "Thank you for the phone."

He sat on the narrow bunk poured from concrete with a thin mat on it and tried to think of anyone to call.

"Rhiannon?"

"Ianto? You're okay?"

"Yeah yes, I'm fine. I…I wanted to check on you."

"Oh that's lovely we're –" He heard the hesitation in her voice. I wanted to check on you was a phrase they had set up between them. It meant she should be careful, keep the kids close, be wary of strangers.

"We're alright here. Kids are asking about your next visit."

"I'll have to make it soon. It seems like years since I've seen them." He winced at his choice of words.

"And how's Jack?"

"Uh I…don't know. We…broke up."

"Broke up? But –"

"I … decided."

"Oh Ianto, I'm sorry, how are you really?"

"I'll be okay. It was for the best. For his sake and mine I think."

"Listen here you have a right to be happy –"

"Really, it's okay. I just…wanted to hear your voice." He caught himself before his voice broke. He was terrified there was nowhere he could send her and the children, no safe harbor, not from a galactic war. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Ianto…is everything okay?"

"Yeah, it is, I promise." He lied. "Look, I need to go but I'll…I'll call again, soon."

They made their goodbyes and he ended the call. He held the phone up for Jade to take.

"Your sister?"

He nodded as she accepted it. She looked at the phone, fingering it almost shyly.

"Your family…" she looked up at him.

"What about them?" He asked carefully.

"There are…bunkers…lifeboats… they're meant for high ranking civilians and political assets."

Ianto looked at her with wary hope.

"Do you really think we're going to destroy humanity?"

"Yes. This is a war that we cannot win. Destroying the Sycorax was murder, standing against the 456 was …" He wanted to say it was expensive that it was still causing pain but in the end one child had died and millions had lived.

He jumped in surprise as she took his hand. "I'll get them on the list." She promised.

Lists, culling it was the 456 all over again. "Can you stop her?" He asked.

She blinked and slipped her hand free of his. "No."

"If I find a way will you help me try?"


	5. The Search

_Reconstructed Excerpt from the Diary of Ianto Jones:_

 _I wonder what will happen to this little book. Will Jack find it and add it to one of his boltholes? Will he run his fingers over its pages and think of me? Will it even survive what's coming?_

 _We have seen and done so much, Jack and I. I lost five years but kept my life, at least long enough to get to this point. I don't want to die, that's important to note. I did want to once, after Lisa and that bloody awful farm I wanted to die, truly. I couldn't see a world without monsters._

 _How can I do this on my own? The purpose keeps pushing me away from allies but Torchwood has only ever succeeded with help. Even if that help amounted to corpses stalling for time. Is it because I'm supposed to make some choice? Maybe that's where he went wrong. Maybe the point isn't just to choose the best path forward for the species but to share the choice, or is that wrong too?_

 _Sometimes when my arm aches I think of when I wanted more, wanted to be special and noticed, I would give nearly anything now not to be._

 _I know that doing nothing will be the worst choice of all but if Jack were here, right now, I think I would go to him and try to leave this world and her problems behind us._

 _Don't find me Jack, please don't find me._

Gwen finished reading the entry out loud and slowly sat. Jack's back was to her and Rex.

"Hey." Rex prompted.

"He was here and you lost him." Jack sighed.

"Sounds like that was for the best." Gwen said softly. Jack shot her a venomous look.

"Answer me this, is he fucking nuts or is he onto something?" Rex asked.

"He's onto something." Jack said firmly.

"Great so where the fuck is he? My intel shows him heading to the states, a team was enroute to meet him when the motel he was staying in went nuclear. But, in spite of it happening in the middle of the night, there were zero casualties, not even a bruise."

"Someone extracted him." Gwen sighed.


	6. Slow Time

The cell seemed to be designed to strip all sense of the passage of time. He sprawled on the strange hostile bed and tried to think. His thoughts drifted and darted like fish in a pond when a long shadow falls over it unexpectedly.

Recruitment to Torchwood 1, working up the courage to talk to Lisa, their first days together, realizing he loved her, realizing that she loved him back….the Fall…he shied from the memories that followed. Lying to Jack, lying to Suzie, Toshiko, Owen…lying to himself most of all. The death that followed.

But the memories wouldn't stay down kept surging and shifting under his metaphorical feet. He tried to sleep but couldn't the strange place filled him with tension and dread. Distant muffled noises, snatches of voices through the ducting, a low thrum he could feel through the floor that might be heavy machinery.

He gave up on sleep and started to pace. There wasn't much room but moving seemed to calm him. He wondered about the strange voice he had heard. Did he have a secret ally? Maybe the 'help' was a plant. Maybe Jade was a plant. Could he stop this war on his own?

He couldn't move freely in the facility without passkeys and possibly biometric access. How much time did he have?

More questions followed until he felt like screaming.

"Had enough?" It was the strange voice again.

"Where are you?" Ianto asked quietly.

"Don't worry about that just now."

"Why?"

"We don't have a lot of time for starters. Listen carefully you'll hear the door unlock in about ten seconds. When it does walk out and take a right keep going to the end of the hall."

"Are you going to meet me?"

"Shhh listen."

He obeyed and moments later he heard a telltale click. He quickly slipped through the door and moving quickly but not quite running left the cell.

The hallway was just as narrow and claustrophobic on the way out as the way in. He was alone, nervous to be exposed he hurried to the end of the hall and another door.

"You have to wait." The voice again. He nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Where the hell are you and why can I hear you?" He hissed.

"Uh well remember your headache when you woke up?"

"Yesss." He hissed suddenly suspicious.

"You are the proud owner of a shiny new implant – Don't freak out!"

" _Don't freak out? Torchwood put something in my skull –"_

"We all have it. Relax we can disable it."

"I'm not wearing a tinfoil hat."

"Shh it's almost time. A guard is going to come through the door you have to disable him. You need his radio."

"Right." Ianto muttered and settled into a fighting stance.

 **A/N** There may be references to the Bigfinish Torchwood Audio 'Broken' in later chapters.


	7. The Timing

" _Relationships at work are never a good idea."_

" _Who said anything about a relationship? We're both screwed up, maybe this is what we need?"_

" _Maybe, but just this once yeah?"_

" _Just this once."_

" _Tomorrow we go back to whatever passes for normal in our lives."_

" _Tomorrow."_

Two broken shards knitting together. It was supposed to be casual…supposed to be comfort in a sea of pain…supposed to be _unnecessary_. Just sex and sympathy but it had twisted and somehow become everything.

"Jack!" Gwen panted.

"I'm fine." He called back. His left hand was clasped to his lower stomach and crimson blood oozed between his fingers

"Rex!" Gwen shouted and her voice echoed back.

"Matheson move your ass!" Jack shouted and winced.

"Jack –"

Rex hurled himself over the low wall.

"Thank you for joining us." Gwen snorted and peered over the low stone wall that was sheltering them.

"There's more now." Rex grunted as he got his feet under him and joined Gwen in a crouch

"How's he?"

"I'm fine, thanks for asking." Jack snapped.

"Yeah if bleeding out is fine, if I shoot him –"

"You're _not shooting me_." Jack snarled.

"Don't even think about it Matheson." Gwen growled.

"Hey I'm just saying if he dies –"

"It won't save us any time, I thought you'd know that –"

"Wait you think I really went and got myself killed on the record when I worked for the CIA?" He looked genuinely shocked.

"Can we focus on getting to the rendezvous please?" Jack asked with his jaw clenched.

"Jack you can't walk." Gwen pointed out

"I'll make the meet –"

"Ianto barely knows you he's not going to trust you." Gwen interrupted.

"You need backup."

"Go, both of you. I'll be fine, I can slow pursuit." Jack said.

"This is so stupid." Rex growled.

"Have a better idea Mister Ex-CIA?" Jack winced.

"Fuck it, let's go Cooper." Rex snapped.

The rendezvous was three blocks away. The patrol that had wounded Jack had gone radio silent thanks to Rex.

"Liston Cooper this shit has to be flawless. If we fuck this up someone is staying behind in cuffs or a bag."

"Deep breaths Rex this is piece of cake stuff right? We get Ianto we get Jack we get out."

"This contact you trust them?"

"Not really no but we haven't much choice have we?"

"Fuckin' Torchwood." Rex sighed.


	8. Must Be

Ianto was bleeding. He was fairly certain he had killed someone. His clothing was torn and stained. His head hurt and he was fairly certain the voice that had been guiding his escape was, in fact, a hallucination.

"You're almost in the clear."

"You're not real."

"Listen stop moving okay you're all right here for a while just take a break and listen."

Exhausted and sore he obeyed.

"I started working for Torchwood right after the fall of the 456."

Ianto tensed. "I know you died. I also know you're _the_ Ianto Jones from this reality and that timeline. Someone fucked with cosmic reality on a cataclysmic scale to get you back here, alive. I wanted to know why. The people here are paranoid and ruthless not a great combo –"

"What's your name?" Ianto asked wearily.

"Uh call me…fuck…" The voice fell silent. Ianto enjoyed the peace for a few moments.

"Sorry look I'm about to be arrested just listen. You have to go to the end of this tunnel once you're through you'll reach a locked gate. Enter your birthdate. Your friends will be waiting past that."

"Wait, we can help –"

"No you can't. I knew what I was doing when I started this I knew what it would cost. I'm okay with it. I can't stop Torchwood on my own but …there's a bag by the keypad take that. It's up to you now."

Screeching static filled Ianto's head then abruptly died. Gasping and holding his head Ianto slowly opened his eyes.

Hallucination or not he didn't want to get shot or go back to the cell. Still holding his head and moving carefully he started down the tunnel.

A dozen or so feet in the top of the tunnel opened to sky. Thin greasy rain filtered through an iron grating overhead. Ianto could see watery moonlight and the haze of light pollution. They were near a population center. He hurried along pausing to catch his breath once. Overhead he heard shouts and shots. Grimacing he clutched at the arm he had cut during his escape, steadying it and set out at a rapid trot.

Behind he could hear what might be sounds of pursuit, or a busy high street on a weekend night. Human cacophony distorted by the tunnel and the rain. He clenched his jaw and kept going. Whether he had hallucinated his savior or was hallucinating his current reality it didn't matter, he was committed now.

The tunnel seemed endless. He paused to catch his breath and looked behind him. The entrance had narrowed to a pinprick. Without the open grating overhead he would be in sheer darkness. He licked his lips and tasted salt, probably sweat, it lacked the copper tang of blood.

He set off again.


	9. Perfect

"This isn't gonna work."

"Have a better idea?"

"Yeah double back for Jack and try again –" Rex was cut off by a stray shot.

They were lying on their stomachs under a delivery truck. Around them Torchwood troops hunted for them.

"We won't be able to, pretty sure our ace in the hole has been found out."

Rex sighed.

"Look, our rendezvous is on the other side of that wall."

"The fifteen foot wall topped with razor wire?"

"The fifteen foot wall with an electronic gate."

"We're gonna get killed."

"No you aren't." Gwen said breathlessly and shifted to move closer to the gate.

"You're the one that said he wouldn't trust just me."

"Yes and he won't. He doesn't really know you Rex, you wouldn't trust him either."

Rex didn't correct her just sighed and checked his weapon.

"Jack can't keep them from us much longer."

"Then why don't you go make yourself useful then?" Gwen sighed in exasperation.

"I'll be fine!" She snapped as he glanced at her.

"Fine." Rex growled and carefully worked his way out from under the vehicle.

"Bloody stubborn." She muttered.

* * *

Ianto was stumbling. He had given up on jogging and devolved to his current not quite drunken stumble. He had realized the cut on his left arm was much worse than it had seemed. He had used his belt to tie it off but could do nothing else for the blood loss.

He wasn't going to stop moving or turn around. Too much had been risked already. Ahead he could see the dim outline of the exit.

Torchwood had to be stopped and only Jack could reach for help beyond Earth. He kept moving.

* * *

Rex leapt over a low wall and still running flat out dropped a Torchwood operative with two near perfect shots. Panting he slid to a halt next to the fresh corpse and knelt. He checked to ensure there was no pulse then looted the body. Two flashbangs, a radio, and an assault rifle. He checked the weapon over then safed it and checked his bearings.

He was close to where they had left Jack. He slipped between two enormous brick buildings the kind of thing he would only see on the East Coast back home and down a skinnier alley to reach Jack's last known whereabouts.

Jack was still lying there. A pool of blood had formed around him.

"Fucking tragedy." Rex growled as he sidled next to Jack. Jack didn't reply. Rex scowled and checked his pulse. Nothing.

"Fucking fuck." Rex half breathed half whispered. He studied the buildings nearby then decided to cut his losses and take a chance. He grabbed Jack by the lapels of his coat – grinning as he envisioned Jack's reaction to such harsh treatment – and dragged the bigger man back down the skinny alley he had used to enter the sheltered area.

Jack came to as Rex was lying him down.

"Rex? Where's Gwen –"

"You are incredibly heavy."

"Thanks slim what's going on?"

"She's waiting on your boy, I circled back for you."

"Give me a hand up."

"Hey no lose the coat."

"What – oh." The absorbent wool was dripping with blood, it was completely waterlogged. Jack grimaced and shrugged it off.

"Sure you wanna leave that?"

"What choice do we have?"

"Amateur." Rex muttered and reached into his pocket he pulled out a small container of liquid fuel for cigarette lighters and a lighter. In moments he had soaked the coat and set it ablaze.

Jack didn't comment but Rex's smirk was a little smugger than usual as they backtracked to Gwen.

Rex was professionally paranoid his recent political fuck up notwithstanding. His little firebug kit had been meant for personal use but worked just a well for Jack. The entire disaster of The Miracle could be laid in no small part at Jack's feet. His impossible existence had been the catalyst and in solving The Miracle and bringing death back Jack's nature had corrupted Rex's leaving them both fixed points in time. Immutable, solid, forever.

Rex really hadn't and still didn't understand all the ramifications of his new reality but he knew one thing for damn sure. His blood could twist reality in the wrong hands.

So he made a burn kit, several, and with his CIA I.D. carrying flammables hadn't been an issue.

* * *

They joined Gwen under the truck with minimal trouble.

Gwen stared at Jack suspiciously.

"Had to burn it." Jack sighed.

"Scandalous." Gwen commented and returned to watching the gate.

"Bag." Ianto muttered and almost didn't see it. It was a blue nylon shoulder bag, wedged under the secure keypad. He tugged it free weakly and tried to remember what the voice had said about the code. Smiling as he remembered it was his birthday he leaned heavily against the security housing and with a shaking hand entered the code.

He retrieved the bag and the gate started to groan and shift then slowly slide open.

Ianto managed to walk out of the gate not wanting to appear completely vulnerable to whatever lay behind it. He found himself walking into a parking lot that appeared to border a visitor's center of some kind. The parking lot was almost empty.

Before he could call out Gwen appeared, she rolled out from under one of the only vehicles in the parking lot and charged him. As he started to sink to his knees Rex and Jack appeared, Jack rapidly outpaced his companions and reached Ianto first.

Jack knelt in front of him, wrapped a strong arm around his shoulders.

"Jack…no." Ianto sighed and tried to pull away.

"You're bleeding, we have to get you out of here." Jack said and hauled Ianto to his feet.

"Jack please…let me go." Ianto's eyes were wide, the whites showing like a terrified horse's eyes so blue against the smeared blood on his cheek they seemed impossible.

"Ianto I'm not going to hurt you or stop you but you're bleeding –"

"What if I ask you to?" Tears on his cheeks.

Jack kissed him as Gwen gently took his weight while maneuvering around his injured arm. Jack broke the kiss and Ianto let out a half strangled sob.

Rex peeled off when he saw Jack and Gwen were fine with Ianto and started looking for an escape vehicle.

"He's lost a lot of blood." Jack said.

"He seems –"

"He can hear you." Ianto said weakly and smiled then jerked in panic. "The bag where is the bag –"

"You're still holding it." Jack said and lifted Ianto's uninjured arm to his line of sight.

"It's important." He said firmly.

From the parking lot they heard an engine start.

"Not much time, they'll make the voice talk." Ianto murmured.

Jack was very grateful Rex wasn't there to offer his particular brand of commentary.

Together Gwen and Jack managed to get Ianto to the parking lot where Rex met them. He had liberated a sedan and hopped out to help Jack and Ianto into the back seat. Gwen took shotgun.

"Where to?" Rex asked.

Silence reigned.

"Come on this is your damn city." Rex prompted again.

"Keep on this road for two miles." Gwen said and glanced at Jack. Jack nodded.

"Then what?"

"Just – give us that much time to think!" Gwen barked back.

Ianto was conscious but barely.

"I have to look at your arm." Jack said and using a knife he produced so quickly Gwen couldn't see where it had been stowed he gently cut away Ianto's sleeve. The arm hadn't been cut but shot. It was a fleshy through and through but the bleeding had gone unchecked for a dangerous length of time.

"We need a blood bank –"

"No, I'm O negative." Gwen interjected. Jack wondered how he hadn't realized that.

"We still need equipment."

Half an hour later Ianto was fully unconscious and breathing shallowly. They were clear of the city and on the way to one of Jack's myriad 'friends'.

"Jack we could –"

"If we leave him at a hospital they'll take him again."

"If we don't he might die – he's so pale." Gwen fretted.

"Jack she has a point." Rex said. Rex's use of Jack's name sobered the immortal. They were right.

"Okay okay…turn in at the next sign for –"

"There." Rex growled as red and blue lights lit up the road behind them. Jack swore colorfully while Gwen glared him and Rex to silence.

"I don't even have a fucking license in this country." Rex hissed as he slowly pulled over.

The police vehicle stopped ten or more feet behind them. It was difficult to judge distance in the rain. They waited a small eternity until someone finally exited the vehicle.

"It's normal but we're fucked." Gwen muttered.

Rex rolled down the window and waited. This might work out. If they could incapacitate the cop they would –

The face peering in at Rex wasn't framed with a police officer's cap. Rex blinked.

"My name is Jade you need my help." The woman said.


	10. Logic Emotion

"I'm not leaving."

"He doesn't want you here –"

"He's _unconscious_." Jack snapped. He closed his eyes and took a slow deep breath then opened them and faced her square on.

"If you were me would you leave?" He asked while searching her face.

She started to speak and he cut her off.

"Don't lie to me Gwen."

"Yes Jack, I would, I _have_ and you know that."

"It's not just his decision –"

"Why not? Because you love him?"

"Because reality itself was twisted to bring him back."

"And what, exactly, does that have to do with you Jack?"

"Because I know the consequences of screwing with the laws of reality." He took a deep breath and ran a hand over his face.

"The miracle?" Gwen prompted.

"My immortality, until Rex I didn't think it could happen to anyone else, I didn't think anything like this could happen – the power and circumstances needed, there was no reason they would ever converge and then Rex and now Ianto – there is always a price to pay for screwing with reality."

"So what Jack? You're going to pay it for him?" Gwen asked softly.

"I have to try." He said.

* * *

Ianto opened his eyes and tried to figure out where he was. The ceiling was plain, smooth, white. He tried to sit up and fire rocketed through his arm and shoulder.

"Hey take it easy you've got stitches and an infection in that arm." Jade chided.

"You?" He asked hoarsely.

"Here." She said helping him sit up and holding a glass of water to his lips. He drank greedily not minding as he spilled it. He was bare chested but too thirsty to care.

"Easy there's plenty more where that came from." She soothed. He drank another full glass before he tried to talk. She was filling the glass a third time from the small bathroom in the room when Gwen returned.

"Look at you getting captured and shot and everything." She teased.

"Old times." He said faintly and smiled.

"Here, he'll need more between the blood loss and the fever." Jade said handing the third glass to Gwen. Gwen accepted it and set it on the nightstand as she sat on the edge of Ianto's bed.

"You're a medic?" Ianto asked.

"More or less. We all have some training." She said with a smile.

"How…how did you get out of Torchwood?"

Jade looked troubled, dropped her eyes from Gwen and stared at her hands. "A friend of mine, he was a good man, good at his job. But he…he always pushed, always asked questions."

"The voice?" Ianto asked.

"Y-yes. He … he didn't trust Brentwood, thought her plan was too risky."

"Smart man." Gwen muttered. Jade glanced up at her then slowly walked to a small table near the only window in the room and at in a straight-backed chair. She rested her elbows on her knees and continued talking.

"He was in the communications room, I don't know how, he didn't have clearance for that kind of access. He was trying to stop Brentwood by getting you out."

"He's dead isn't he?" Ianto asked thinking back to the hurried end of their conversation.

"Yes. He was …discovered."

Ianto watched her as she spoke and thought about the timing of that final conversation.

Jade cleared her throat. "He was my friend and in the last few weeks I … couldn't shake off his warnings. Then you showed up." She sighed and spared a half smile for Ianto.

"Ianto and your friend convinced you to betray Torchwood?" Gwen asked.

She perked up slightly, "No, they convinced me to betray something masquerading as Torchwood. I read the surviving files from the hub and third party reports of Torchwood activity. My niece was taken over by the 456, I lived through Miracle Day and the Crash, I know what you've done with little more than pocket change and bolt cutters. I thought…I thought when I joined that I was joining _your_ Torchwood. But you had all fucked off elsewhere so … I made the best of it. Kept my head down, worked hard… Then I met Geraint and Ianto was brought in."

Ianto had been watching her, eyes have lidded with exhaustion and the sweet tug of painkillers and fever. "How did he die?"

"I told you –"

"Was it you?" Ianto asked.

She went very still and studied her hands for a long moment. "He didn't have clearance for the comms room. I was ordered to check the room when the CC TV went down. When I got there I realized what he was doing. I faked a radio failure to buy time. He…he knew he had crossed a line and I couldn't fix it. I had in the past you see, I'd covered for him when I could but this was too big..."

She took a deep breath. "He was going to do it himself but…he's religious, I know that. I couldn't let him so I…I shot him." She choked out her final words. Gwen knelt next to her and took her hand but stayed silent.

Jack entered and cast a glance around the room, he seemed to swallow whatever cheerful announcement he had planned to greet them with and settled for unloading the two cloth grocery bags he had brought into the room with him.

Gwen released Jade's hand and lead Jack back outside to talk.

"Is she stable?"

"All things considered, yeah, for now. I imagine she'll fall to little broken pieces once the pressure is off."

"So let's keep it on we need her."

"Is that really –"

"Necessary? You tell me."

Gwen bit her lip then cursed under her breath, "Okay okay, keep the pressure on." She sighed.

"It's not like we have a choice anyway." Jack said gently.

"You need to talk to Ianto, sort things out or he'll go haring off again."

"What about you?"

"We need more intel."

"Great you take Jade and I'll talk to Ianto." Jack said with his usual manic cheer.

Ianto seemed to be sleeping when they returned. Jade was still curled up in the straight-backed chair now she was looking out the only other window down on a retention pond behind the motel.

"Ah look we can't possibly do anything before morning, Jade why don't you get some sleep?" Gwen suggested.

"Can't, I took a stim, I'll be up for twenty-four hours at least. It's okay he'll need watching." Jade nodded toward Ianto.

"Right, well, Jack doesn't sleep so that leaves me."

"Better get your head down while you can." Jack chimed in. Gwen spared him a withering look. He grinned.

* * *

Ianto woke an hour later. Jade had gone to check in with Torchwood. S

"You're not worried she'll betray you?" Ianto asked hoarsely shortly after Jade left.

"It doesn't matter, we need intel and she's our only source. We'll be careful." Jack said gently and rested his knuckles on Ianto's forehead feeling his temperature.

"Fever broke." Ianto said and carefully sat up. Jack got him water and helped him drink.

"I'm not leaving Ianto." Jack said quietly and sat on the edge of the bed.

Ianto ignored him, watched Gwen sleep for a few moments before replying. "Did you ever watch me sleep?"

"All the time." Jack said and reached to touch Ianto's face. Ianto let him, leaned into Jack's palm.

"I'm going to die Jack. Reality was twisted and torn and it's still not enough. One day, today, tomorrow, sixty years from now my heart will stop and I will die." He said staring at Jack.

"No, maybe not I mean Rex –"

"You met a version of me that was immortal like you. Would you damn me to that?"

"I can't lose you again." Jack hissed tears in his eyes and kissed Ianto.

Ianto melted into the kiss, almost hating himself for it, then pulled away. Jack stayed in place staring into Ianto's impossibly blue eyes.

"Jack-"

"We have a second chance –"

"We have a war to stop. Or start." Ianto said putting a hand on Jack's chest and slowly pushing him back.

"Start?"

Ianto studied Jack then shook his head and tried to get out of the bed. Jack helped him stand.

"That needs to be changed." Jack said nodding toward Ianto's bandage. Ianto sat quietly at the edge of the bed while Jack changed his bandage. The wound was no longer pink, hot to the touch, and oozing.

"She must have given you next generation antibiotics."

"Well she did steal her supplies from Torchwood." Ianto said with a smile. He ached for Jack's touch, the solace of his embrace, his lips and hands – he closed his eyes and took a slow deep breath. Jack waited, hand on Ianto's shoulder.

"Jack, I love you. But you're like a drug, you take over all my instincts, poison my thinking, I must do what I do for _all_ not for me. I can't be selfish Jack and love is the rawest form of selfishness. I cannot have you –"

"I am _not_ leaving you. I owe you more than that."

"Will you listen? Just once Jack! _Listen_ to me. I cannot do what I must do if you are with me. I love you too much you will twist my reality until all I see, all I touch…smell…is you." Ianto gently touched Jack's trembling jaw then let his hand drop. "This is too important."

"Fuck the greater good! The greater good means slaughtering children and sacrificing innocent people Ianto! At some point it has to to be _enough_."

"No Jack, that's the point, it never is, there will always be choices and the greater good –

"No, lives are not mathematical equations. I know that Ianto I killed my grandson for the calculus of the greater good! The three families inflicted the Miracle on all of humanity for their version of the greater good! The greater good is just a sliding scale dictated by the people in power at the time –"

"Which is me! Jack I have to do this, I was born to do this."

"Because some inter-dimensional assassin tells you to?"

"Leave me Jack or I will be forced to leave you. I don't know if I have the strength to do that twice."

"Ianto…Ianto…" Jack whispered and pulled his lover close. "I can't let you go Ianto…I _can't_ …not again…not again."

Ianto resisted for a long moment then melted against Jack's broad chest, buried his face in his neck, inhaled that familiar rich 51st century scent, and felt tears of relief flood his eyes so he closed them and turned his back on the future.


	11. Staging

Jack held Ianto as the younger man slept. It was a deep but healthy sleep not the fevered unconsciousness of before. Gwen woke and took a shower before dressing again.

"These clothes, we've got to get something fresh." She sighed and made a face.

"They're close." Jade said.

Gwen glanced at the men and sighed. "Yeah." She agreed and allowed herself to smile.

"Have you got anyone?" Jade asked.

"Yeah, back home. You?"

"Uh no."

"Don't feel too bad sad and single is pretty normal for Torchwood."

"So is an early painful death, apparently." Jade sighed.

"Why don't you get some sleep has the stim worn off?"

Jade checked her watch, "Soon."

"Well then." Gwen said firmly unconsciously using her mom voice.

Jade smiled but nodded.

Two hours later Gwen was out running recon with Rex. Jack hadn't moved, afraid to jar Ianto awake. When Ianto did wake he started in surprise which jarred his arm and earned a small curse.

"Hey sleeping beauty." Jack murmured.

"Jack?"

"Yeah, I'm here." Jack said gently and kissed him.

"I can't choose." Ianto sighed as the kiss broke. He could feel his arm starting to wake up and the pain crawling up to his shoulder. Jack helped him stand and get to the bathroom to clean up.

"Keep the arm dry." Jack admonished.

Rex returned while Ianto was showering.

"He mobile?"

"Couple of hours, what've you found out?" Jack asked.

Rex glanced at Jade who appeared to be sleeping. "Let's talk outside." Jack glanced at the bathroom door then frowned and followed Rex.

"What was that about?"

"I had her vitals run through D.C. she fits a known black ops agent that went off the books two years ago. She's a damn assassin."

"And you had me leave her –"

"She's deep cover could be infiltrating Torchwood. She could be genuine."

"So what she infiltrates New Torchwood on a third party's orders or maybe she really wanted to join then she finds out about Brentwood's plans and keeps an eye out until this Geraint guy starts making trouble?"

"Why not? Hell Jack all we know about her is what she's told us. Look she can still help us if she has any brains she'll know we'll check her out."

"So what changes?"

"For the moment? Not a goddamn thing. We still need to figure out how to stop killcrazy and find out what's actually going on here."

Jack spared Rex an approving look, "Too many coincidences."

"To say the least, look you and that asshole bent reality to bring your boyfriend back, which is great, really I'm happy for you, except shit has to balance right?"

"How much did Gwen tell you about that?"

* * *

"You shouldn't be using that, it won't heal right, muscle damage is problematic enough." Jade sighed as Ianto struggled with his tie.

He shot her an annoyed glance. She laughed and got up and helped him with it.

"Who travels with a suit and tie?"

"Me." He said primly. To be fair Jack had gotten fresh clothes for everyone while Jade slept. But he normally did travel with back up clothing.

"Well now you're ready for the world again, mostly." She said and held up a cloth arm sling.

He sighed and let her help him put it on.

"Right now you'll need that for at least two weeks, ideally it'd be a month with physio but considering –"

"That we're going to be stopping a galactic war it may not be practical?" He asked.

"Ah there he is." She grinned.

"You'll be good at this." Ianto said checking his reflection once more before leaving the bathroom.

"I should hope so, I've trained enough."

The room had been cleaned up and readied for their departure. They left cash for the balance due and a hefty tip and piled out and into a legal rental car. Rex wouldn't explain how he got it but he swore it was secure.

"Thought you were persona non grata?" Jack asked as Rex took the wheel.

"Hey I mighta got spanked a little but I'm still Rex Motherfuckin Matheson."

"Oooh I like this side of you." Jack crooned.

"OI." Ianto growled.

"So a lot of this to look forward to." Gwen laughed.

"Relax suit he's all yours." Rex snorted.

"So, where to?" Gwen asked.

"I got us a new base." Rex said proudly.

"Oh this ought to be good." Jack smirked.


	12. Home

"Hang on, how could the CIA get a new base for Torchwood in the UK?" Gwen demanded.

"They didn't, you idiots forgot you aren't the only international alien fighters, you ever hear of a little outfit called UNIT?" Rex snorted.

Gwen glanced at Jack. "Well, yes, but –" Jack started.

Rex just laughed.

"Is Martha still involved with UNIT?" Gwen asked.

"Should be but uh well we've been out of touch." Jack admitted.

"Don't look at me, I spent several years dead. Sort of." Ianto said dismissively.

"UNIT?" Jade asked.

Rex snorted. "Seriously? Damn, Torchwood still amateur hour. Look, Alfred, you're one of the only fools in this outfit with some sense."

"So you're not part of this outfit?" Ianto asked dryly.

"Hush, I'm talkin' wait your turn. Point being, you're gonna love this shit." Rex said smugly.

"He talks a lot of shit doesn't he?" Jade asked and Gwen burst out laughing.

"Yeah yeah laugh it up but you're about to see what professionals can get done."

They drove for what felt like forever before leaving the city and entering the country.

"Oh this looks very handy, nice and central." Gwen groused.

"Shut it Cooper, see there's this thing called discretion y'all idiots should look it up some time, means not driving around the damn city you live and work in with the name of your secret club on the side of your fuckin' vehicle. Yeah I heard about that." Rex snorted as Gwen's expression grew defensive.

"Seriously?" Jade asked.

Rex nodded. "Bet they redacted the shit out of your files to keep the really embarrassing shit quiet."

"Hey!" Jack started Rex raised a hand.

"Admittedly, you did some good work too. Don't know how but you did." Jack leaned back somewhat mollified.

Ianto was subtly massaging his arm and sweating lightly.

"Hey do you –"

"Here." Jade said and offered a travel packet of painkillers and a bottle of water.

"Girl Guide? Jack asked.

"Something like that. Rex, how long will we be on the road?"

"We're here." He said and pulled over.

They were parked in front of a dilapidated farm house, what had once been a farm house really. The roof had fallen in and there was a tree growing so close to the front door it could not have been deliberately planted.

"How do we get in?" Ianto asked.

"Alfred for the win, come on kids daddy's got a surprise." Rex said almost giggling in glee.

His audience piled out of the rental and followed him to the rear of the building. He knocked on a rotted back door that emitted a surprisingly solid noise when he did so. He waited a few seconds then knocked again. The door swung open revealing a very dark room beyond. Given the strong daylight it was to dark.

"All aboard." Rex grinned.

"Lead the way." Ianto sneered.

"Oh hey down boy." Jack grinned and lightly slapped Ianto's ass as he passed. Ianto blushed and straightened his jacket.

Jack entered the darkness and was swallowed whole by it.

"Jack?" Gwen called tentatively. Silence answered back.

"Have a little faith." Rex smirked and stepped in after Jack.

"Shit." Gwen said and she and Ianto entered together.

Jade stood at the threshold then looked back behind her toward the fallow fields and the woods beyond. Licking her lips nervously she stepped forward.

There was an instant of absolute soul sucking darkness then as she finished her first step her foot collided with solid reality and she stumbled forward.

"Sorry about that, still working on aligning things, we're about a quarter inch lower than the entrance." A harried blonde woman shouted to Jade and the others. Jade glanced around at what appeared to be a medical waiting room. The room was empty except for them but filled with soothing prints and plush furniture. The woman was standing behind a high counter with a window. The wall behind her was peppered with health and safety notices and a sun faded calendar from 2006.

"Whoa." Jade said.

"Ah welcome to Torchwood." The woman said looking up from what Jade assumed was a computer.

"Torchwood?" Jack asked suspiciously.

"Not those newcomers aspiring to the throne, perish the thought." She said and smoothed her smart suit jacket. It was a lovely dove shade that brought out the slight red of her hair. She was around forty, trim, and very brusque.

"You are?" Jack asked still suspicious.

"At your service Captain. You may call me Ms. Hart."

"Ms. Hart?"

"Yes, and you must be let me see here…" She looked back at whatever she was referencing, "The indomitable and timeline confusing Mr. Jones, Mrs. Cooper of world fame, and…Jaden Mathews lately of New Torchwood."

"Jaden?" Ianto asked.

She glanced askance at him, "I said Jade wasn't my name."

"Fairplay." Ianto admitted. He looked paler than in the car.

"I hate to rush the show, god knows I love a show but as you can see –"

"Oh yes of course my apologies, just a moment." Ms. Hart said then emerged from behind the counter via a nondescript door. She was carrying a black case. She stopped at Ianto's side and opened it to reveal what looked like a small gun and a set of multicolored vials.

"Just a tick." She said with a smile and with one hand managed to load a vial and inject Ianto through his suit arm. He winced and recoiled from her.

"Now give that a few moments and you'll be right as rain. Combination of the healing sprain Dr. Harper pioneered and a few more recently discovered ingredients. Perfectly safe I assure you and really rather more fun than dealing with that nonsense for a fortnight."

Ianto blinked at her and glanced at Jack.

"I like your style." Jack admitted.

"Charmed I'm sure." She said and lead them to another nondescript door.

"Now, we had to do this all a bit on the sly side so please let us know if there's anything you need modified." She lead them through the door and in the Hub.

"What the hell?" Jack asked while Gwen and Ianto froze. Then Ianto let out a delighted yelp and bolted out of sight.

"It's the same coffee machine!" He cried from somewhere.

"Ianto's coffee." Jack and Gwen said simultaneously.

"Glad you like it." Rex said smugly. Jade was staring around still trying to orient herself.

"How the _hell_ did you manage this?" Gwen demanded through a manic grin.

"Well, he had help." Martha Jones said as the invisible lift lowered her into the main room.

"Martha Jones! I should have known." Jack grinned and bearhugged her.

"Well, after ending the Miracle certain parties felt you were owed a favor. Took you long enough to pop back up though."

"This is incredible."

"It's not all the same but we did our best, let Ms. Hart know what changes are needed and she can see its done."

"This must have cost –"

"Remember all those devices and technologies Torchwood found? Turns out most were patented."

"Holy shit." Ianto laughed as he came back down to them.

"How's the arm?" Martha asked.

"It's…fine." Ianto said surprised.

"That's Owen's doing." Martha said with a gentle smile. "It's standard issue now, in a few years it will be released for general use. Make us a mint and revitalize the NHS. He'll save thousands."

They were silent for a long moment then Martha smiled and took them on a tour. It was perfect anything that had been worn was mended anything stained gleamed with hygienic purity.

"Where are we though? I mean, we're not in Cardiff are we?"

"Good question Alfred." Rex grinned and nodded to Martha.

She lead them down to a sublevel below the cells that had so often been filled with Weevils and into a metal lined chamber that had some kind of pressure lock that unsealed as they entered.

"Welcome to the uh hub, of the Hub." Martha said.

Inside the room were a dozen doors set equidistant from each other. Each held a label.

"Destinations?" Ianto asked.

"When I say we pulled in some favors, well, we might actually owe a few now. You can travel to any location listed on these doors instantly. You'll exit via a building similar to the one you used to enter today." Martha grinned.

"This is insane." Gwen breathed.

"We? Did I hear you say _we_ Martha Jones?" Jack asked through a huge grin.

"I'll be the Torchwood UNIT liaison, someone has to keep an eye on you."

"I like the sound of that."

"Down Captain, I'm a married woman." She teased.

Hours later each of them were settling into their personal quarters. Jack's was a match for the office / cubby he had in the original Hub. Ianto's was eerily similar to the bedroom from the flat he had in Cardiff.

Ianto sat on the bed and tried to wrap his head around the events of the last few days. They had effectively gone from a rogue band of misfits against an all powerful organization to a clear rival for them. He strongly suspected that with a word from Martha they could have UNIT troops on hand in minutes thanks to those doors.

He tried not to think about the doors, the technology needed to do such an impossible feat was stunning. Far beyond anything even Torchwood was familiar with. It was frankly terrifying and the thought that Torchwood, or UNIT or anyone on Earth might owe a favor to the beings or whoever it was that had supplied it was beyond frightening.

A light knock at his door drew his attention. He rose and answered.

"Jack."

"Mind if I come in?"

Ianto studied his love, the cocky grin, set of his shoulders…

"No Jack."

Jack looked surprised. "Ianto –"

"I meant what I said –"

"I thought –"

"So did I but …we're in bed with something dangerous Jack."

"Here I thought you liked a little danger." Jack said softly, so softly Ianto had to lean forward to hear and Jack used the opening to pull Ianto close.

"You want this, we both do." Jack said throatily as he felt Ianto's body respond to his touch.

"I love you Jack, I want you so much it hurts, but this isn't about me or you or even _us_. It's about –"

"Bychus."

"I don't understand it Jack but it's real I can feel it."

Jack ran a hand over Ianto's chest, the other under his jacket to the small of his back.

"Tonight Ianto, just tonight, we deserve it… _please_." Jack whispered and ran a string of kisses down Ianto's throat.

With a growl Ianto pulled Jack into the room.


	13. Fitting In

"I'm fine, honestly."

"You'll be coming home then?"

"Soon, we're –"

"Right, well, just remember you've a family now Mrs. Cooper no heroics, that's an order."

Jade tuned out Gwen's happy conversation and went in search of a place to rest.

* * *

"We should talk." Martha said as Jade entered the infirmary / morgue where Martha had been checking over the medical stocks.

"Why?"

"You're dangerous woman and these people are family."

"I'm on your side."

"Yes, now."

"Once a traitor always a traitor?"

"No, once you've grown a conscience it's difficult to kill it."

"So what, swap makeup tips?"

"We need someone to keep an eye on security."

"You…what?"

"I'm not interested in interrogating or vetting you Jade. If you're going to betray us the only way to prevent it would be to kill you, and I don't do that. Besides I think you're sincere."

"Why?"

"We know who you are or, well, who you used to be. We don't care, we'll debrief you when the time is right but at the moment we're more concerned with security."

"We? You, Torchwood? Or UNIT?"

"Torchwood."

"So you're not just a liaison."

"And you're not just a soldier." Jade sat down on the concrete steps and regarded Martha thoughtfully.

"Listen, there is a place for you here. It may not be obvious but there is."

"As what? A fifth wheel?"

"Gwen will always be Torchwood but she has a family now, she can't be at the Hub all the time anymore. Jack and Ianto…well, who knows how that will end up. I'm the medical officer and the UNIT liaison, Ianto is the logistics expert, Jack is, well, Jack which leaves two more openings."

"Security and?"

"Technology. But, as there's no way to really replace Toshiko Sato we'll work with UNIT."

"Torchwood was established because of the Cardiff rift –"

"Only partially." Martha said with a smile and Jade continued.

"The rift is closed."

"Is it?

Jade frowned.

"Even if it is Torchwod is still necessary."

"If you say so."

"Hypothetically speaking, if we stop this new lot from inflicting their plan on us what will happen to their personnel? Equipment?"

"Splinter cells, looting –"

"And with their training and assets does it sound like a good idea to let them scatter? Brentwood can't be the only true believer and unless we go in for assassinations and life sentences 'just in case' then what's the alternative?"

"Change of command."

"Right, and for that to work we need your help."

"Security?"

"All aspects, perimeter, digital, personnel checks, infiltration –"

"O…okay I'm in."

* * *

"What will this really cost?" Jack asked.

Rex looked up from the digital map he had been studying and shifted his weight and stance until he faced Jack squarely.

"What do you care?"

"Really?" Jack snorted.

Rex adjusted his suit jacket, grunted and bent over the map again.

"Rex!"

"It's taken care of, damn. You need to learn to relax."

"Don't fuck with me on this, tech like those doors is _way_ beyond anything we can get on our own. So, what is the cost?"

"You don't have to worry about it, okay?"

"No, not okay –"

"I made a deal."

"With who?"

"It doesn't involve you! Damn Harkness, just accept a fuckin' gift."

"There are no gifts Rex, not in this line of work, just strings people will pull at the worst possible time."

"Shit, I know that but this one is on me, not you."

"You're sure it's worth it?"

"I'm positive."

"Damnit Rex."

"You – _we_ need this Jack."

"Says who –"

"You got no team, no base of operations, no support. You don't even have a fuckin' car. Gwen has been runnin' shit on a string and a prayer with her doofy ass husband and her kid on her hip. You _know_ that's gonna end badly. Shit I get it Jack, you got your boy back, shit is looking good for the first time in forever right? But it can't last without help."

"So you got help?"

"No, dumbass, _I_ helped. Shit."

Jack regarded him owlishly head tilted back and lips slightly pursed.

"Fucking what?"

"You like us. Maybe, you even looooooove us. Just a little."

"God fuck no get away from me!" Rex snapped as Jack made hugging gestures and advanced on him.

"BRING IT IN REX MATHESON IT'S HUG TIME." Jack caterwauled as Rex dodged him.


	14. Talent Search

Martha Jones was studying personnel files and trying to figure out how they could even attempt to plug the hole left by Toshiko Sato. Ianto had been extraordinarily competent with the Hub's internal systems and logistics, most of which had been replicated here, but the design, improvement, innovation and implementation skills Toshiko had possessed were organic and brilliant and frankly, irreplaceable.

So how to replace the irreplaceable? If you're Martha Jones with an outstanding reputation and frightening record in the face of impossible threats and worse odds, you poach the replacement. The files she was reviewing had been culled from nearly every NATO government's various intelligence agencies, private corporate interests, UNIT, and a few less savory sources.

"Still hunting?" Jack asked as he entered the medical area. He was carrying a mug that steamed invitingly. He diplomatically set it at her elbow. She let out a noisy sigh of relief and picked it up.

"Careful, she bites." Jack said.

Martha glanced at the hot mug in her hands and the screen in front of her which was currently displaying a wild eyed woman with short blonde hair and heavy framed but stylish if garishly colorful glasses.

"Literally?" She asked.

"Oh, I meant the coffee." Jack said sagely and nodded toward the mug. Martha snorted but tasted it carefully. It was certainly strong but also loaded with sugar and milk.

"So, how goes the hunt?"

"Impossibly."

Jack laughed.

"What?"

"Ah it's not you, remember I recruited Tosh. You'd never guess where I found her. I just…sympathize."

"Sisyphus." She groaned and picked the mug back up.

"You should get some rest, maybe try again with fresh eyes. There's…a few other contacts I can reach out to."

"Oh?" She asked sitting up and forward slightly and setting the mug down. Jack straightened tugged his coat straight and flashed a smile at her.

"Jack –"

"Sleep Martha Jones, it's what all the cool kids are doing these days!" He called over his shoulder as he headed toward the main exit.

"Not so fast Jack, I need to know what you're planning. Getting this up and running took a lot and there are certain benefactors we need to avoid pissing off, at least right away. So –"

"Relax, he isn't a government spook and he doesn't have a rap sheet. He's a history nerd with a magic touch for computers."

Martha frowned. "You want to recruit a history nerd for our technology and R and D wing?"

"You said our, I like that, keep doing that." Jack quipped and was through the exit.


End file.
